LEICESTER’S Grand Prix star Martin Vaculik (pictured) is facing a spell on the sidelines after suffering a suspected broken ankle in a first race crash during the Lions’ visit to Swindon on Thursday night.

The meeting was abandoned before the heat could be re-run following a three-rider pile-up involving Swindon’s Nick Morris, Vaculik and his Lions team-mate Michael Palm Toft, who sprained his ankle in the accident.Leicester captain Danny King said: “We thought the biggest problem beforehand would be the visibility. The track didn’t seem too wet when we walked it and I don’t think anyone complained about it. “Obviously, underneath it was a lot wetter but from walking on it, it seemed dry enough to race on. But it was damper than we thought and it caught the riders out because as soon as they got to peak speed and tried to turn, none of them could. “I’m just a bit speechless really. It doesn’t look good for Martin, our thoughts are with him and we just keep our fingers crossed it isn’t as bad as first feared.” Swindon manager Alun Rossiter said: “The riders were keen to give it a go but the conditions got worse with the drizzle getting heavier, and the surface became like an ice rink. “It wasn’t just the fact that Nick locked up when he came into the bend, they all did exactly the same, and the referee and the riders were all unanimous that it was too dangerous to carry on. “Our thoughts are with Martin who was in a lot of pain in the ambulance, and we’ll have to await the official word on his injury.”